


Time Moves Ever Onward (And With It, We Must Move On)

by Rellanka



Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [12]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst, Established But Undefined Relationship, M/M, Spoilers for FF7 Remake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23760493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Rellanka
Summary: "Time is getting on.... Yes, bad luck to it. It always gallops when you want it to walk, and walks when you want it to gallop, like an ill-trained horse."ROBERT BARR, The Victors
Relationships: Andrea Rhodea/Cloud Strife
Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697269
Comments: 8
Kudos: 105





	Time Moves Ever Onward (And With It, We Must Move On)

Andrea hesitated in the doorway as he took stock of Cloud smoothing down the covers of his bed. It was the only thing in the room left that required any sort of fixing; the rest of the room was pristine, as if Cloud had never been there at all. As if Cloud hadn’t spent nearly a full week there. 

Even before Cloud straightened and turned to face him, Andrea knew what it meant with an ache that washed his previous anticipatory happiness for the day away. 

“Leaving so soon, Cloud?” He asked softly with a possible attempt at his typical casual flirtation, “And here I thought that our hospitality might have been good enough to convince you to stay, at least for a while longer.” Hadn’t acting like this been easy once? It felt so difficult now. Like Andrea was carving pieces of himself away with every word. Maybe it was that for the first time, Andrea actually felt like begging for something. He felt like begging for Cloud not to leave him. 

Cloud’s eyes were apologetic as he turned and they met Andrea’s. And maybe regretful? Did Cloud really not want to leave, or was that just Andrea’s overly optimistic imagination?

“I’m sorry. It’s not that your hospitality wasn’t good. It’s… everyone here’s been amazing. Really. But… I have a friend. Aerith. She needs our help, and we’ve kept her waiting for it long enough. I can’t- I **won’t** \- let Shinra keep her in their grasp for any longer. But I don’t know if I’ll be able to come back here, after we get her out.” 

Andrea’s smile was brittle on his face, he could feel it. Cloud deserved a better smile than that, to send him off. But with the way that Andrea felt like he was one short breathe away from breaking down, it was the best that he could do. 

“I understand, honey. I don’t think I’d like you half as much if you weren’t as good as you are; if you were the type of person to ignore a friend in need. …Still, if you ever do get a chance to come back here… You’ll be more than welcome.” He hoped that Cloud knew how very dearly Andrea meant that. How Andrea would do almost anything at all to have the certainty that Cloud would one day return. 

Cloud nodded, and the two of them just stood there and stared at one another for a moment of frozen time, locked away from reality in a world where for a short time, they were the only thing that mattered. Andrea took it as a chance to drink in every aspect of Cloud’s beautiful features he could, etching them into his memory so that he would never forget even the slightest shade of his eyes. Maybe he was being foolishly romantic to think maybe Cloud was doing the same. Maybe Cloud really was doing so. 

The moment broke, as all such moments eventually do, and Cloud sighed before walking to the doorway. He paused once he and Andrea where standing shoulder to shoulder, facing opposite directions even as they stood so close that their shoulders brushed very softly together. 

“Thank you. For everything.” The mercenary said softly, before leaving without saying a goodbye. An echo of their first night together. 

Andrea was beginning to think that the man was incredibly bad at goodbyes. 

Walking further into the room rather than do something foolish, like chase after Cloud and demand that he stay, Andrea collapsed onto the bed that he’d been sharing with Cloud, those few times he hadn’t been able to coax the man into his own room. Not that Cloud’s room was far from Andrea’s own, being as close to it as Andrea had been able to get away with. He’d wanted that; wanted to keep Cloud close, wanted to keep him there. He’d wanted more occasions when he got to see Cloud and tease out some more of those delectable blushes. He’d wanted more time with him. He’d _always_ wanted more time with him. The minutes and hours had seemed to slip through his fingers even as Andrea tried to clutch them close, rushing toward a future he’d already seen coming. One where Cloud left his side. 

But even though Andrea had been expecting this, had known it was coming, that didn’t make the pain of actually experiencing it any less excruciating. It was some of the worst emotional pain he’d ever felt, pain so sharp it felt physical, and it was with a resigned sort of horror that he realized exactly what it was. 

Heartbreak. For the first time in his life, Andrea was experiencing heartbreak. 

He huffed to himself without humor. No wonder it could make people do such ridiculous things. 

Letting out a gasp of a laugh that was really more of a sob, Andrea bowed his head. 

And cried.

**Author's Note:**

> Um. I'm sorry? 
> 
> (Next fic is the timejump.)


End file.
